Families With Foster Children

Explained...
The word "foster" means to help someone (or something) grow and develop. It also means to take care of someone's needs. Foster parents, then, are people — other than a kid's parents — who provide a safe place for kids to be cared for. They take kids into their homes and let them stay for a while.

Statistics

463,000 children live in foster care in the US (Source: AFCARS Report 2009)
18.8% of children enter foster care due physical abuse
7.9% of children enter foster care due to emotional abuse
6.2 of children enter foster care due to sexual abuse
3.9% of children enter foster care to care take inability
Less than 3% of foster care children - who age out of system - go to college (51% end up unemployed)
30% of children in foster care have severe emotional, behavioral, and developmental problems.

Common Problems
Attachment DisorderAccording to a report by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, disruptions in attachment relationships caused by foster care can lead to a condition known as reactive attachment disorder, or RAD. RAD can manifest in a variety of behaviors in relation to caregivers, including being withdrawn; appearing sad and listless; failing to smile; failing to reach out when picked up; and showing lack of interest in interactive games or toys.
Defying AuthorityAfter being removed from their home and placed with strangers, foster care children often have increased levels of stress and insecurity. According to the American Academy of Adolescent and Child Psychiatry, most children in foster care feel insecure and uncertain about their future. According to a report by the Washington State University Cooperative Extension, feeling insecure frequently leads to children defying authority.This could include refusal to listen to authority figures or intentionally doing the opposite of what is asked.
Sibling AggressionAccording to the New York University Child Study Center, foster children are at high risk for perpetrating sibling aggression and violence. This could mean participating in physical fights with natural or foster care siblings. This behavior could result from family separation or adversity between siblings in the child's biological family.
CryingConstant crying and clinging behaviors are also sometimes observed in foster care children who have endured constant changes in caregivers. Visits with biological parents during foster care can further confuse children and lead to excessive crying, especially in younger children.
Foster Children Often Struggle With the Following Issues: